The United States is one of the few countries in the world without some form of universal healthcare for its population. Due to the fact that the nation has a free market system, medical treatment has primarily been supplied by a series of insurance companies working with physicians and medical establishments. This resulted in the situation where large swaths of the population do not receive the care they need. Ultimately, this results in both unnecessary health problems and death, which can lead to higher costs to those paying for services.

Over the years, dozens of attempts to realign the system have been made. Most recently, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed by President Barack Obama with major requirements for companies and personal responsibility mandates for individuals.

As with any topic in the American political landscape, healthcare reform has led to a number of critiques and debates.